It had been some time since the last war, yet Rusty was still struggling to understand why there was so much of a stink being made and why people couldn't just move on, usually after a couple days it would die down but it had been over a week and people were still at it. Sure their parents had died but that was this life, we all died eventually. Everything we did was unfair, everything we did was ruthless, when a son or daughter enters this world, they need to understand this is what their parents signed up to, they always ran the risk of being the victims of a takedown. Rusty breathed in deeply...

Given the nature of our world and the fact that there's a lot of death, a lot of war and a lot of sons and daughters who wish to come back with a vengeance, is it right or wrong to ask about someone's bloodline?

Personally, I've always felt it's not the right way to go about things, the past is the past, the sons and daughters of fallen mobsters won't necessarily make the same mistakes as their parents did and they may have even learned a thing or two from their parents death, hopefully leading them to become better mobsters. I've always tried to treat every guy within my crew fairly, despite reputations of certain bloodlines, I will always try to give them the benefit of the doubt and create my own judgements. In the past this has burnt me, but sometimes people just want that chance to prove they aren't a complete cock pocket and have done exceedingly well for me. It tends to be fairly hit and miss really but when it works out well, it's been fantastic.

However after the recent fallout of the war we saw not too long ago, we have seen a lot of unhappy sons, daughters and grandkids and with many of them vowing to come back and make a nuisance of themselves then maybe it's a sensible thing to ask about bloodlines. The last thing anyone wants is for some silly Sally to infiltrate their ranks and shoot within their crew, that kind of thing never looks good for a leader. Despite it not being a universal rule or thing to ask for bloodlines, leaders are often given the blame when such actions arise. Admittedly less so when they are of a more humbler rank such as Wise Guy, but if you have someone working their ass off for you, they've ticked all the boxes, met all the criteria and then you feel they have deserved that rank of Made Man and they then go on to burn you, it's going to bite you on the ass and you're going to be questioned on your ability to trust those around you. Sadly we can't all see through to the hidden agendas some people have, all we can do is make a best guess about people.

A guy recently came to the street and spoke about how emotion drives mobsters, personally I've never been driven by my emotions, however if that is true for a lot of the sons and daughters of the recent fallen, then maybe this is the sort of time we need to be asking the right questions before we allow people within our families. Maybe this is a time where we request to know the bloodlines of those we are letting in to our families so we can keep tabs on them, for the sake of business maybe it's best for us all to take the safety first approach from now on?

I know this sort of thing always happens, people die, sons and daughters return with tears in their eyes swearing to avenge their parents, but in a time where we have a strong alliance across the cities, it would be unwise to allow bitter Billy's to fracture this with hidden agendas.

Rusty.

Rory listened to his leader speak, bloodlines and family history was a topic that personally, had always, interested him. Rory thought long and hard about his feelings and thoughts on a persons ancestry before pulling up a milk crate, stepping on top he began to speak.

Firstly, thank you for gracing our fair streets with your presence, Rusty. It is always nice to see not only a man of honour, but a leader bringing these discussions to our streets and to the forefront of our minds.

The topic of bloodlines and ancestry is one I have always considered to be ambiguous, a double edged sword so to speak. Many people, yourself included, believe that bloodlines should not matter when a deceased individuals sons and daughters reach our streets. But is this simply a façade?

I am not for one minute implying that this is the case, nor the way you conduct your business. It is a well-known fact that my father was recently felled in the Philadelphia take down but yet you graciously accept me into your organisation. Is this because my family history suggests that I will be a stable person and less risk than the bloodlines of others? Perhaps.

Some bloodlines are tarred with a bad brush, but yet they manage to turn it around and contribute in a big way to our society. I certainly hope that this will be taken in the right way and I mean it as a compliment, but you only have to consider the bloodline and ancestry of Cin. An active member and crewleader of our society, one whom maintains a solid street presence and teaches the young and inexperienced the ways of our world, I have read about periods of time in my ancestors journals however, where Cin’s bloodline was revered for being what could be considered brash and unstable. How times change.

However it seems that some bloodlines are eternally immortalised within the very fabric of our society. Some bloodlines are considered a ‘safe bet’ and the positions that they will achieve are a given, regardless of whether the individual  has put in the ‘work’ to get there, rather that their family lineage will suffice. I’m not suggesting that this is the case for any of the current crop of leaders  but something that seems to have been a recurring theme throughout my bloods time on these shores.

Now to focus on the question that you actually asked..

I don’t think it is necessarily a bad thing to ask of someone’s family history, but to discriminate against them on those grounds, without proper reason is something that should not happen, and when it does, it sets a very dangerous precedent for how other  people will be treated in future. I don’t think there is only family line on these shores that given my own organisation, I would not gift a chance to. Should they mess that up, more fool them, they will not receive a second.

I don’t think there is any issue with wanting to know somebody’s family history, it is what you do with that knowledge  and how it is applied that makes any difference. You do, after all, have the lives of people in your hands, and that is not be something that should be taken lightly.

Feeling satisfied with his response, Rory stepped down off his milk crate and offered the floor to others who wished to voice their opinions on the matter. 

The problem here is a lack of consistency from those concerned. Personally, I couldn't give a shit about someone's bloodline; not only does the world become really incestuous and small when you start paying attention to them, it also becomes boring as fuck working with or against the same lineage repeatedly.

Unfortunately, I've discovered that my view is shared by only a small minority of others and the rest of the country are massively concerned about bloodlines and before too long every other interaction boils down to who did what and how they relate to whom. This makes me sad because how can I possibly operate in my chosen manner, which I think makes our business both stronger and more enjoyable (which is kind of the point lest we forget), when I'm alone in doing so? That would place me at a considerable disadvantage and offer ample opportunity for those with ill intentions to take my proverbial pants down. I'm not a fan of that.

So I'm left trying to walk some sort of middle ground and I tend to judge people on a case by case basis. If some guy is out in the Streets making more references to a father than my local priest, then I'm going to be judging them on their history because they've decided it is important to them. If on the other hand someone approaches me and says they are new to the business and they want a chance, provided they abide by my golden rule of not being a dick, then it is highly unlikely I'll ask about their bloodline. 

If my bloodline were joining a crew with the intentions of destroying it from the inside, would I be honest with you about my bloodline when asked? No! It shouldn't matter the bloodline, because if bitter billy and sniveling sally are out for vengeance, they certainly won't come back and tell you who their bloodline is when asked. They will lie to you. 

The point of the game is life and death - power and strife.. 

I'm in a very similar position to Credits on this one. Whenever I have recruited, I've always done my absolute best to keep bloodlines out of the equation. I've been burned by it multiple times, but I've also seen people completely flip from what their bloodline is usually known for. It can be an advantage, it can be a disadvantage. 

Alas, we are the minority, and most of the leaders of this world (past and present) hold bloodlines very high on their list of how they judge someone. It has been this way for some time. It's not just the leaders though, it's the huge importance the majority of our world itself places on bloodlines. It works both ways. People want their great deeds to be remembered, to create a "legacy" if you will. They want what their parents did then to be taken into account when someone looks at them. Yet if it were something bad, they want to be released from it, and turn over a new leaf. 

Like Credits said, the only way you can do it is case by case. If red flags are popping up left and right, I'm going to look into the person's past. But if they work hard to impress me and hold the family above all other loyalties, I see no reason to go digging.

Dillon, they wouldn't. Obviously. I'm not entirely sure what you're trying to make.

What point, too.

*sips some duck juice* 

Knowing a bloodline is a good "baseline" but not needed, understanding ones history and style of work with in our world can be as asset but it ends there. As far as heritage or bloodline being the end all be all to accepting or working with someone, well that is just stupid and I totally agree with Credits. We in this world are supposed to a large degree work off of our own merits. Using our connections as leverage to help us to our greater ends. 

However here comes the caveat, when someone has shown themselves to be a historically doomed dumb ass - you should approach with caution give less rope etc. I know might contradict what I said just a moment ago, but like all general rules there are exceptions. 

I'm sorry to divert this conversation, but I think this is the wrong side of this coin to be concerned about.

This was a conversation in our HQ just a few days ago; some of my colleagues seemed concerned at the enormous impact an individual's bloodline can have on their success as an individual. I won't speak for them (and I hope they provide their thoughts if they're so inclined), but I can see where a newer bloodline would be concerned in that regard. Many of the relationships that dominate this world are ones made generations prior. And that's where my concerns originate in regards to bloodlines; is the success of an ancestor a requisite merit for current and/or future success? And if that's the case, can anyone actually make a name for themselves or their posterity in the current system?

I can count on both hands the times, even in the last year or so, that bloodlines took turns authing each other and serving as hands for each other. While I understand the concern for "checking on" new recruits to ensure they aren't harboring malicious intent, I would say this alternative form of "bloodlining" is more detrimental to Our Thing as a whole. When we go era after era seeing the same people doing the same things, we're directly discouraging new bloodlines from participating by showing them they're second-class mobsters.

And a lot of the time when concerns like mine are brought up, we hear "well they're often the most qualified so they get the CL and GF positions," but I think that's almost entirely because some people will only work for friends of their ancestors; not because of any tangible quality that separates them from a hard-working individual fresh off the boat.

To conclude, I truly do not think this negative bloodlining is worthy of concern. I think the positive bloodlining, the ones which cause a positive feedback loop of friendship, success, and bias towards certain individuals is substantially more destructive, especially in times like these where truly malicious rogues are quite few and quite far between.

If someone says they are new, it doesn't necessarily mean they are new. My own philosophy on this is that if you aren't a dick and don't bang on about your history, I probably won't start looking under too many rocks to prove you're lying to me as, amongst other things, bloodlines are boring as fuck. I might I guess, if that person seemed particularly repulsive, but it seems unlikely to me that I would. I hope that clarifies my meaning for you.

And Cato, you're right, that's definitely a problem. Possibly more so.

Why I suppose that new recruits have to start putting in work too at some point. When my forefather ran his family he got a few guys who were (more or less) new to these shores and what did he judge them on? Their merits and the level of work they put in. You can't judge a guy within the first five minutes of joining your family unless he is an obnoxious prick that doesn't take the time to listen to your instructions. You actually have to wait a while and see what the guy does while guiding him along the path. I think you just identified a pretty big problem here: We generally start judging someone as soon as we contact them or when they join and start making assumptions before they've done anything noteworthy themselves.

*tilts his beak* 

Dillon, so that means those who are brand new to our shores are judged on what? You have merit, the merit of your word until proven otherwise. The merit of your day to day work and activity, how you handle yourself in crew discussions etc., deal with common place issue's. 

For example I have more respect currently for some thugs in this world, regardless of who their ancestors are because well they saw my coat and asked if they could practice the art of "slight of hand" if they returned what was taken. I politely told them no, versus a few of the Right Hands we have who are either too stupid to read or simply have that little respect for those around them to show them common courtesy. So based on MERIT those thugs have proven more. If you want to say merit is the wrong word that is fine, actions - interactions - accountability - etc etc etc. 

*sips his duck juice*

If you aren't going to act upon someone's bloodline, what exactly is the point in asking about it?

If I may be frank, my parents are both dead, my mother for some time now.  It's not that it's not fair to wonder where you came from, or that others might also want to know your family history, but if you're in any way a sensible person you realise it's just that, it's history.  Now, I suppose if your family has spread some sort of uncontrollable brain parasite that causes each generation to just go insane and destroy everything they've built time and again, then family history would be important.  But there are so few people like that in this world.  I'd just like to make my own way through this thing of ours, instead of relying on my ancestors. 

Dillon, I somehow forgot to respond to your comments earlier so I hope no harm is done in addressing them now instead. I can't see why you wouldn't be able to judge people fresh off the boat by the time and effort they put in. How eager to learn are they? How much time do they dedicate to grow to be better? What is their work ethic like? All of these can be used to assess new mobsters. If I, in my capacity as sponsor, were to approach someone who has been doing our jobs,  I would ask if he and his family are new to our American shores or not. If he/she confirms that her family line has a longer history here, naturally I will ask more information. If they don't want to divulge that information to me, that is fine. Perhaps I will ask again later if they feel more comfortable within the framework of the family. 

Likewise, if someone states that he/she has no family history here, but they possess knowledge or skills that normally aren't in the repertoire of new bums, I might just dig deeper into their roots.

Here's the thing about bloodlines...

And I hope the recently departed Rusty wouldn't have minded that I'm going to twist some of his words a bit...

...bloodlines tend to learn from their ancestors mistakes.  And they tend to learn a thing or two.  Therefore, they become better mobsters.  Or do they become better rogues?  By learning their ancestors failings, have they learned how to be a better rogue? 

That's the interesting question.  Or at least that's the question going through people's minds.  Isn't it?  Therefore, it is a complicated issue.  To know a bloodline, or not to know a bloodline.  So, should a mobster keep their history secret?  And should leaders or families try to determine that mobster's history?  More interesting questions. 

I think we should let the past be the past.  Let each mobster prove himself or herself.